


Red String of Fate

by MissDreamgirl32



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: I’m not taking this one too seriously, Multi, Taako went missing and Lup became a reclaimer, Taako/Kravitz/Angus family, Twin Swap AU, sorta - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-13
Updated: 2019-06-04
Packaged: 2019-11-17 17:02:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,844
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18102722
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissDreamgirl32/pseuds/MissDreamgirl32
Summary: “Do you believe in fate?” Taako askedLup thought for a minute, then shook her head “No.”“Well I do.” Her brother insisted, placing one hand over hers “I think we were destined to find each other.”





	1. MoRPL p 1

A warm summer breeze tickled at Lup's legs as she waited grumpily for the train. It was late and she would've loved to be asleep by now. But instead she'd been sent out on a mission in the middle of the night. Not that she meant to complain, of course. It had been three weeks since the destruction of Phandalin, and three weeks since Lup and her unlikely friends had joined the Bureau of Balance. This was their first formal mission and Lup was determined to succeed.

* * *

It was well past Angus's bedtime when the train pulled into the station and Taako held his hand tightly in case he fell asleep standing up.

"C'mon, buddy, we're almost there." He whispered encouragingly as they boarded the train for the last leg of their journey before returning home.

The fishing trip had been a nice break from city life, and they'd caught a few big ones that'd made for a delicious stew, but Taako was ready to get back to their home in Neverwinter. The Sizzler's regulars would be glad for his return after a week of sub-par dining, that was for sure.

They'd barely boarded the train when something weird happened.

A large, beefy hand grabbed Taako by the shoulder, turning him ungently. Taako found himself looking at a wide, scarred face with bright blue eyes he didn't recognize. He was about to assume one of his fans had recognized him when the man started speaking.

"Hey, did you see which way Merle went?" The gruff voice asked

"Huh?" Taako responded with a raised eyebrow, but the man wasn't actually paying him much attention, glancing around the station rather than at the confused elf.

"He said he was going to get us checked in but I'm starting to think he went to "study his cantrips" again."

"Who?"

"Merle."

"No. Who's Merle? Who are you?" Taako said a little louder to get this thick-headed man's attention

The man turned his head to him sharply, looking confused himself for a second before his expression changed to surprise as he looked Taako over more closely.

"Woah. You're a man." He said dumbly

Taako took a step backwards "Sure am, my dude."

Taako could practically see the wires connect in this man's brain as he realized what had happened and his expression immediately became flushed with embarrassment.

"I am so sorry! From behind… you look just like one of my friends from behind!"

 _Yeah_ , _likely_ _story_ _bub_. Taako thought as Angus let out a rather large yawn. "Well, man, it's been real but I've got to get my son to bed." Taako said as he made as quick an escape as he could dragging Angus behind him. (Had he still been small enough, he would've picked him up and carried him but those days were behind them now.)

"Mmm, who was that, dad?" Angus asked as he crawled into bed, half-asleep already

"No one, pumpkin. Sweet dreams."

* * *

"Let's go over it one more time." Lup insisted

"But I'm tiiiiired." Merle complained

"I know. Just one more time, then you can go to sleep okay?" Lup promised

They went through the security protocols of the train one last time. The Grand Relic was located in the train's security car, sealed in a magic vault that could not be opened unless the engineer kept his hands on it for an entire hour, which would not happen until they arrived in Neverwinter tomorrow afternoon. So far no one had showed any signs of experiencing the Relic's thrall.

When they were done, Merle was already dozing off and Magnus didn't see any harm in getting some sleep himself. But he could tell Lup wouldn't be cashing in some elf perks and skip sleeping entirely tonight.

"Hey Lup can I ask you something?" He posed

"Shoot."

"Do you have any family that live in this area?"

Lup raised an eyebrow "I don't have any family period. I thought I told you that."

"Yeah, yeah, no, you did. I just… Hypothetically, what would you say if I told you I just ran into one of your relatives?"

The question hit Lup bluntly, like being smacked by a ruler. Relatives? "What makes you sure they were related to me?"

"Well, not much, just that he had your exact face."

That caught Lup off guard and she had to think for minute before answering. "I mean… I guess I must've come from somewhere, it's not inconceivable that I'd have some family out in the world. What… Did you talk to him? What was he like?"

"I mean, I did talk to him but it was only for a second and he seemed pretty put-off that I thought he was you. You know? So I don't-"

"You didn't get the best read on him."

"No, not really. Sorry, I-"

"No, no, don't worry about it."

"I just wanted to let you know. You know… in case…"

"I appreciate it, Magnus."

"This isn't gonna… like… throw you off or anything is it? I don't wanna, like, put pressure on you or anything but if it's just me and Merle working this case tomorrow…"

Lup chuckled at the thought. "No. No. No, the mission comes first. These relics are too dangerous for me to give this anything less than my all. I'll be fine, Magnus. Thanks."

Magnus gave a shrug but Lup could tell he wasn't convinced. And after her teammates had dozed off for the night, Lup found herself unable to concentrate on the task ahead. A few singular thoughts circled through her head.

She might have family on this train…

She might have a family…

There was no guarantee. It could always be a fluke and they just happened to resemble each other.

She might have family on this train…

She might have a family…

Magnus was the only one who'd seen both of them.

She might have family on this train…

She might have a family…

And even if this guy was related to her, it was no guarantee he was a good person.

She might have family on this train…

She might have a family…

* * *

There weren't many passengers on the train, which Lup counted as a small blessing since it kept their list of suspects so short.

Lup kept a keen eye out as each passenger woke up and started to go about their business on the train. And, as of yet, she's seen so sign of the mysterious passenger with her face Magnus kept insisting existed. Well, just as well, she couldn't afford to get distracted.

There was Graham, a middle-aged wizard even shittier than Jenkins who told them about how he'd been rejected for a job on the railway. ("Motive!" Magnus hissed in her ear "He had motive!") Then there was Jess The Beheader, a famous wrestler known for her taste for blood. ("Means! She had the means!")

"You're missing the point." She hissed back "No one even knew who Leman Kessler was or that the relic even existed. Quit pointing fingers at everyone."

Finally, there was a young boy, dressed in formal attire. He did raise Lup's suspicions, if only because he seemed to be traveling alone, with no parent or adult in sight. She knew well enough from her years on the road there were plenty of reasons for a child to travel alone, but it still made her uneasy. Well, that and… she seemed to be staring at her. She offered a friendly wave and he quickly ducked back behind his book again.

"What's a little boy like you doing riding the train alone?" She asked him, taking a seat next to him uninvited

"Oh, I'm not alone, ma'am. My dad's just in the pleasure chamber right now." He said, visibly uneasy. Oh, well, it was good to know he did have parents, she supposed. No child should be alone.

("He's the bad guy." Magnus whispered)

"Excuse me, fancy boy." Merle started as he began his schpeil about worshiping Pan as a ruse to get more information out of him without seeming suspicious. They learned the boy's name was Angus and he was returning home to Neverwinter after a fishing trip with his father. The kid seemed to grow more uncomfortable the longer their conversation went on, and Lup figured they might be crowding him a bit but she wasn't too concerned. The kid was cute, but still a suspect in Lup's book.

"Angus?" A voice broke into their conversation and suddenly it was like everyone took a huge gulp of air all at once.

"Dad." Angus went over to the man Lup could only assume Magnus had been talking about last night.

He had traded in his tank top and shorts for a stylish green blouse and black skirt, and his sloppy bun for an over-the-shoulder braid, dotted with raven feathers. But there was no hiding the resemblance. They had the same tan skin and pale blond hair, the same violet eyes and pointy beak of a nose.

The two stared at each other. Lup tried to speak but nothing would come out. She felt transfixed.

Finally he cleared his throat "A-Angus, baby, who-"

"I'm Lup." She said quickly, forgetting entirely that she'd already introduced herself as Justine Kessler to everyone on the train, sticking her hand out earnestly.

The man glanced down at her hand and Lup was hit with a panted feeling that this was… not right somehow. For them to be introducing themselves so formally.

"Taako." He said, taking her hand gingerly "Nice to… um… nice to meet you."

"Yeah, uh, likewise." He looked uneasy and Lup thought he felt the same sense of… wrongness about this situation that she did.

A long, awkward moment followed. Lup feeling tongue-tied for the first time in… months? Years? Well, a long time.

"You, uh… you're still in your pajamas?" Taako tried

Lup flushed, she'd forgotten all about her state of dress. "We had to leave in a big hurry, there was no time to grab our clothes."

"Ah. And where are you heading in such a hurry?"

"Oh! Well Merle," Magnus coughed loudly in her ear "I mean, Leeman's cousin who's name is Merle… he, uh… he had a heart attack! And we have to get to the hospital in Neverwinter right away."

"Oh! That's terrible! Do you need directions to the hospital? I live in Neverwinter so I know my way around pretty well. Or, you look about my size, I could… Why am I offering you my clothes?" He ducked down to whisper something to Angus and Lup took the opportunity to snatch Merle's ear.

"Can you cast detect magic?" She hissed

"Uh, no. Why?"

"This guy put a charm spell on me. I'm sure of it."

Magnus rolled his eyes. Merle flipped through his spells and gave her a shrug. She turned back to Taako and they smiled awkwardly at each other for a moment.

"Do you… Uh…"

"You wanna get brunch?" Lup offered quickly. A million thoughts were pounding in her head so loud she could barely think. Her fight or flight instinct was in full swing. Everything about this situation seemed uncomfortable and strained, yet familiar and deeply comforting at the same time.

Taako smiled, looking relieved "Yeah. I'd… I'd like that."

They sat down at a table for two, and from there the world seemed to melt away as they talked.

"Dear God, there's two of you." Jenkins wailed when he brought their food

"What an astute observation Jenkie, my man. I'm surprised you didn't have to burn a spell slot to figure that one out."

Jenkins gasped indignantly. Lup snickered.

Taako was head chef at and owner of The Sizzler, a high-end restaurant in downtown Neverwinter that was particularly renowned for it's soups and stews.

Lup had been in and out of university teaching jobs for a while now. She enjoyed her research and the pursuit of new frontiers but gods did academia ever get boring! So, every few years she's take off on a "research quest" and go see what the world had to offer. That was how she ended up with the boner squad as it were.

A high-pitched scream cut through the train. Eh, Magnus, Merle and Angus we're heading that way. It was fine.

"Dad! Dad! Somebody killed Jenkins!"

"Well, thank goodness the world's greatest detective is on the case. Run along now."

Taako had read one of her papers! The one on the relationship between necromancy and evocation. He admitted it wasn't his usual jam but he tried to keep up with the latest arcanel theories and thought her thesis was fascinating. Hearing that made Lup feel proud.

"Lup! We could use-"

"Merle, I'm in the middle of a conversation."

Taako has a boyfriend. His name was Kravitz and he was "a real classy dude." A bounty hunter for the Raven Queen, whatever that meant. They'd been together three years now and Lup could tell from the look in his eye he was head-over-heels in love with him.

"Dad, my hat got singed while we were fighting fire-crab things. Can you fix it?"

"Hm. It's not too bad. I'll see what I can do when we get back home, Pumpkin."

Magnus and Merle glared daggers at Lup at smoke and cinders billowed off of them. She barely noticed, preferring to watch as Taako sent his son off again to keep investigating.

Taako watched him go a bit wistfully before saying, unprompted "I've been wandering the world for pretty much my whole life. Bounced around orphanages and caravans and smelly taverns. I've never had a home or a family or… roots. For a while I had this traveling cooking show and it brought me fame and recognition and some shallow love from fans but… Then Angus happened. And I knew the sort of life that would await him on the road and I… I didn't want that for him. So, I canceled my show, bought an apartment, and put down roots for the first time in my life." His eyes were a little misty as he looked back at Lup, but what he found there made his smile fall sharply. He sat up straight sharply and started rubbing at his eyes "Sorry. I… I guess that's a little personal to be telling someone you met two hours ago, huh?"

"No! No, I didn't mean-"

"It's cool. I shou-"

Lup grabbed his arm tight "What was that you said about being in orphanages and traveling around as a kid?" She demanded urgently

That made Taako relax "Uh, well, I mean yeah. I guess I had parents but they gave me up when I was… pft three? Four? I don't really remember. And orphanages such so I kept running away and getting sent to new ones. Learned how to cook so I could sell myself to caravans, you know how it goes."

Lup was stunned "Yeah. No, no, I really do because I was abandoned by my parents when I was three or four and I kept running away from orphanages too."

Taako knit his eyebrows together, clearly catching her drift "What's your birthday?" He asked. Lup told him and his eyes went wide as dinner plates. "B-But if your birthday… is my birthday… and you look just like me…"

"We're twins!" Lup exclaimed, already hugging him.

Taako was stiff for a moment, then he let out a loud laugh that sounded so much like hers and hugged her back just as tight.

Lup had to wipe tears away from her eyes when they pulled apart "I can't... I can't believe I had family out there. All this time..."

Taako's eyes were plenty watery himself and Lup knew he was feeling the same immense feeling of relief she was. Like she's been carrying around a two-ton boulder on her shoulders for so long now she'd forgotten it was there. Her brother took her hand in his and gave it a tight squeeze.

"I know you've got business in the city but-"

"Oh, fuck that noise."

Taako gave a throaty chuckle "I want you to meet Krav. He's going to love you, I know it. And... where'd Angus get off to? I want to introduce him to his Aunt Lup."

Lup laughed, high on all the emotions coursing through her veins. And it was at that moment the train lurched so violently the siblings were sent to the floor and sounds of explosions and screaming came from the back of the train.

"You don't think-"

"Oh, definitely."

The pair took scrambled for the cargo train. When they got there they found Magnus curled in the fetal position, groaning with pain, Jenkins holding a wand to a restrained Angus's head, and Merle looking very unsure of what to do. The car itself was showing signs of battle itself, most obviously in the large, gaping hole in the wall, but there were also valuables scattered all over the floor and it looked like the impenetrable safe the train employees were so proud of had been cracked open. (Were those severed hands? Man, she was really out of the loop this mission, huh?) It also looked and smelled like someone had been settling off fireballs in here willy-nilly.

Well, first things first, she supposed.

"Fireball!"

"Mage hand!"

Taako's mage hand grabbed Angus just as Lup's fireball sent Jenkin's flying out the hole in the train, keeping him safe.

"Well, that was anti-climactic." Taako remarked, strolling over to check on his son

"Who was that guy again?" Lup asked to no one in particular. She gave Merle a nod in Magnus's direction, who was clearly in need of a good healing. And, well, Merle was the only one around.

Angus buried his face into Taako's slight chest as he started to cry. "I-I'm sorry!" He blubbered "I thought I could handle this on my own and… I… I…"

"Hey, shhh. It's okay. You're safe now and that's the important thing. You're too hard on yourself, Ango, honestly." Taako soothed

"Uh, I hate to be the bearer of bad news. But we've got another problem." Merle cut in from where he was healing Magnus "And you two may have just blasted our only solution out the train to a gruesome death."

"The train's going to crash into Neverwinter!" Angus explained, clutching at Taako's shirt urgently "The only way to stop it is in the engineer's booth and we can't get out without the engineer's hands. Dad, what are we gonna do!?"

"I'll tell you what we're gonna do." Taako said, cool as a cucumber "We're gonna use Jenkins teleportation spell to get you all inside the booth. Once you're there you can pull the emergency break."

"Your sure you know how to do that?" Lup asked

"I saw Jenkins performing it while I was in the pleasure chamber. I should I able to recreate it but it might be a little rough. So what I need all of you to do is head to the front of the train and focus on what the Engineer's booth looks like. Get the other two involved too. Close your eyes and really concentrate, alright?"

Lup suppressed a raised eyebrow. She wasn't sure exactly why this would help Taako cast the spell but he seemed confident enough in his abilities. And after a minute or so longer than it usually took to cast such a spell, she did indeed open her eyes to find all of them transported into the Engineer's booth.

Graham went positively nuts, pushing every button and pulling every lever like an excited child until a big shiny red one made the train lurch violently and Lup looked out the window to find them stopped just feet before Neverwinter Station.

They had all met up again at the station, said goodbye to Graham and Jess, and were watching Rockport Limited personal board the train to inspect the damaged when Lup's stomach suddenly dropped six feet.

"Oh my gods! The Relic!" She screamed "It was supposed to be in that safe! The guards are gonna fall prey to the thrall!"

"You forgot about relic!?" Magnus chastised

Taako raised an eyebrow at her "What are you talking about?"

Lup barely had time to wince at the realization she might have some awkward questions to answer when Angus jumped in.

"They work for a secret organization that works to destroy powerful, evil, magic artifacts, Dad." He explained "They must've been transporting one on the train and that's why Jenkins wanted it."

"Still no idea who that is." Taako commented

"You told a ten-year-old!?" Lup chastised her teammates

"Well, we needed someone to be our wizard and you were busy!" Merle defended

"If it was in the safe, it probably got mixed up with all the other valuables…" Angus muttered

"Okay! Okay! Calm down everyone." Taako interjected "I think I might be able to solve this for everyone. What did the artifact look like?"

Lup, Merle, and Magnus looked at each other awkwardly for a moment "We… we don't actually know." Lup admitted "The Director couldn't tell us much about it."

Taako frowned and started rummaging around in his purse "Well, let's see… The thrall these things have… Is it like a voice talking in your head telling you to use it's power?"

Lup, remembered all too clearly the voice of the Phoenix Fire Gauntlet from back in the ruins of Phandalin and nodded stiffly.

"Will this fit the bill?" From his bag, Taako produced a small monocle "I, uh, luckily snatched this up before the, uh, the wind swept away all the other valuables. Such a shame."

"Dad?" Angus said intently "Can I see that, please?"

Lup barely heard him "You're… giving this up willingly? You don't want to keep it for yourself?" She asked

Her brother shrugged "Well, it keeps offering me copies of Fantasy Jack And Jill 2. So, yeah, I'm pretty sure it's evil."

"Dad! Please! I just want to hold it!" Angus's was yelling now

Lup glances back at her teammates and they looked as confused as she was.

"Is it possible immunity to the relics thrall is… genetic?" Magnus offered

Merle shrugged "I dunno but I say we bring him back to the Bureau. The Director might want to offer him the same deal she made us."

Taako raised an eyebrow "How did you make that noise with your mouth?"

"DAD!" Angus screamed at the top of his lungs

"Angus Beef Tacco, what has gotten into-"

Taako's question was cut off as a blast of Magic Missile sent him flying backwards and skidding across the concrete.

"Taako!" Lup made a dash for her bother, who looked knocked unconscious and watched as Angus, wand still in hand, as he snatched up the monocle and darted off into the crowd.


	2. MoRPL p 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Great googly moogly! Y’all liked this story way more than I thought you would! Thank you all so much for the nice comments they mean so much!  
> Unfortunately, the circumstances of this chapter don’t leand themselves to goofs as easily as the last one, so I hope you like my more serious writing as well.

Taako groaned as consciousness returned to him. Before he even opened his eyes, he knew something very bad and very wrong had happened. His body was sore all over and he had a screaming headache. He turned his head to try and bury deeper into his pillow but found only cool concrete. Concrete? Ah, shit.

"Taako?" A hesitant voice called to him as he forced himself to sit up, his eyes taking a moment to adjust to the bright sunlight

He felt a hand squeeze tight around his and turned his head to look at them, expecting to find Angus's apologetic face. But instead he found… that's when it all came rushing back to him.

He whipped his head around, trying to catch some sign of Angus. He saw the dwarf (Merle was it?) performing some healing spell on him. A small crowd of Lookey-Lou's had gathers around them but few feet away, he managed to spot the big, muscle-y man (Magnus?) talking into a stone of far-speech. He looked back to Lup, but his newly-found sister's expression was wracked with guilt and brought him no comfort.

"Where's Angus?" Was the first question he asked

Lup biting into her lower lip answered his question before she could open her mouth "Taako, I'm so sorry." She said "He was taken over by the thrall."

"Yeah, no shit." Taako retorted, ignoring his sore muscles to stand up and dust himself off "Angus wouldn't hurt a fly normally. There has to be some really powerful magic at work here. How long was I out?"

"About ten minutes." Merle informed him

"Then he can't have gone far." Taako said firmly, he scanned the station again for any sign of his son but whatever tracks his might have left had already been stomped to death in the busy station "What was that artifact exactly? We need to know what we're dealing with here."

Lup and Merle glanced nervously over to Magnus, still talking on his stone of far-speech and Taako realized he must be reporting the situation to their superiors in this secret-society thingy they worked for. Well, that seemed like a good place to start.

"… one of the most populous cities in the world, Magnus!" A stern yet airy voice came through the stone as Taako approached "You understand we can't afford another AHRJDHFHVS scenario."

"I think you've got a bad signal, Big Guy." Taako commented

"The signal's fine. You just can't hear when we say things like VISHSJIFHWG or RAGWORKFHSGA or-"

"Okay, I get the picture, do not do that again." He said putting a finger in Magnus's face for good measure

"Magnus who's there? Was that Lup I just heard?" The voice on the other line asked

"I'm here, Director." Lup said, catching up with him "But that wasn't me. It was… um… well, it's a bit of a long story." She hesitated and Taako figured now probably wasn't the time to have the I-just-found-my-long-lost-brother talk with your boss

The Director was silent for a long moment until Magnus decided to speak up "Listen, Director, I understand your concerns but sending in TIDHAJDKD and FKDJAHDKGHAYAHKD… It just doesn't seem necessary. I mean, he's just a little boy."

The line was silent for a moment longer before the director responded "Magnus, I know this might be hard to hear but children have gotten their hands on these relics before and they've proven to be just as destructive as adults. And this is a particularly bad one in such hands. AAOWKDHWHSLSNSBAHA. We're talking about the raw power of a child's imagination, given life. The devastation-"

"Listen to me." Taako interrupted "That child out there is my son. His name is Angus. He is ten years old. He likes macaroons and tulips and he cries whenever I kill a spider. I don't know what exactly these things are or what they do but he is not in his right mind right now. Just let me get close enough to talk to him and I know I can make him give it back. He'll listen to me."

The Director was quiet again for a moment "I understand your concerns Mr… uh…"

"Tacco."

"Tacco." She echoed, sounding like she was holding back emotion. Taako expected her to continue her statement, but it never came. He looked to Lup, wondering if this was normal but she seemed as confused as he was.

Eventually, Merle spoke up "Uh, Director? You still there?"

"Huh? Oh, yes, I'm still here." She said, her voice sounding much further away than the stone of far-speech would allow

Merle cleared his throat and continued "Listen, back in GOSHAHAJ I had a real heart-to-heart with GKANAHSJ and he was willing to take off the gauntlet on his own. He just… didn't quite get the chance." He shook his head, as if trying to clear bad memories "It's not impossible to reason with people under the thrall. And if anyone can do it, surely their family can, right? You gotta let us-"

"You have one hour," the Director cut in, voice tight "to resolve this situation without bloodshed. After than I'm afraid I have to choice but to send in FOAHAGUH."

The line cut out the second she was done talking, leaving no room for argument.

"…What happens after an hour?" Taako asked, the expressions on the other's faces telling him it was not good

"…She sends in back-up." Lup managed, her dark expression betraying her real meaning. Taako swallowed, sure nothing good was coming for Angus if they failed to calm him down in time.

Lup saw his expression and grabbed him by the shoulders "Listen to me. I _swear_ to you we will not let anything bad happen to your son." She said, grave seriousness in her lilac eyes "Or this city." She added after a moment "We have a chance and that's all we need. We can do this!"

Taako looked into his sister's eyes and felt comforted and reassured right down to his core. Yeah, they could do this. They could do anything as long as they were together. He grabbed her hand and gave her a determined nod. "So what does this thing do again?"

"It allows the user to turn anything made with illusion magic real."

"Is that all?" Taako asked, relief flooding him "Well this might be easier than I thought. I never taught Angus any illusion magic!"

It was then, however, screams from a nearby crowd started up. Taako's momentary relief left him in an instant.

"Of course he read ahead."

* * *

Lucretia sat down heavily on her office chair, tears streaming down her face and she wasn't sure if they were of joy, remorse, dread, or relief.

He was alive. Taako was alive.

This whole time he'd been out there. Where had he been when she made her decision? Had he been safe? Was he scared? Was he trying to get back to them? She didn't know.

Of course it would've been Lup to find him. She would've searched every inch of this plane before she gave up on rescuing her brother.

And now he had a child! Lucretia couldn't help but let out a chocked laugh at that. Taako as a parent. How had that happened?

Oh, gods help her. It wasn't just any child running lose in one of the most populous cities in the world with the power of the Occulus at his back. It was Taako's. Taako's son.

But no matter how much it might break her heart to say it, as long as he was under the thrall of the Occulus he was a threat to everyone in Neverwinter. And if she had to send in the regulators to control the situation… she had no choice in the matter.

"Davenport?" Davenport asked from the doorway in the same tone he always used when he found her crying

"Davenport." She echoed "Davenport, Taako's alive! He's alive and…" her voice left her and she crumbled back into crying again

Her captain came up to her and put a comforting hand on her knee "Davenport." He said in a soft voice

Lucretia only cried harder.

* * *

It didn't take long for Lup to notice the change in their surroundings. First, a thick fog rolled in from the middle of a city. Then, the sunny sky became quickly gray and overcast. Finally, creepy carnival music started up nearby where there hadn't been any before.

It was easy enough to track down where the weird things were appearing, they just pushed against the crowd that was running away, spooked by the unexpected change in the city landscape.

"Funland Carnival." Taako read off the entrance to the spooky abandoned carnival entrance as they made their way inside "Hmm, that sounds familiar but I can't place it."

"Uh, are we sure Angus is the one making all this?" Magnus asked, glancing around at the deserted, gloomy scene "What kid wants to visit a carnival like this?"

"Maybe he just dosen't want to wait in the lines?" Merle suggested.

Taako frowned, clearly racking his brain, when he stopped suddenly and Merle accidentally walked into his legs.

"What is it?" She asked

Her brother laughed, brushing some of his disheveled hair out of his face "Of course he would, this is Angus we're talking about." He commented to himself before addressing the rest of them "He's re-creating his favorite book series. Caleb Cleveland: Kid Cop? Any of you know it?"

"Never heard of it."

"Nope."

"Sorry."

"Yeah, that figures. It's aimed at elementary-aged kids but Angus eats and breaths them." Taako explained, then he added looking a little embarrassed "Uh, to tell you the truth I don't know them super well myself. Krav sorta took over bedtime stories a while ago. He does all these dumb voices and… But we're getting off track. I think I know where he is, c'mon!"

He took of running, leading them towards the Merry-Go-Round. When they got there they found the ride had been roped off with police Do Not Cross tape which they easily ignored. There was indeed a child-sized figure poking about the ride. The only other person they'd seen since entering the carnival. But he didn't look anything like Angus. Angus was a dark-skinned human with a wide nose and righty curly hair. This little boy was an elf with pale blond hair and typical pointy elven features. Lup wouldn't have paid him much mind except for the surprisingly-well-fitting monocle he wore over one eye.

She caught her brother's eye and he gave her a stiff nod in confirmation. He looked anxious and Lup realized suddenly how underprepared they were. They only had the vague idea that Taako would be able to reason with his son and she'd seen that shit go sideways once before. Deciding it was worth taking the time for a team meeting, she grabbed her brother by the hand, stopping him from walking towards the little boy, and led them behind one of the nearby booths.

"Listen," she said, feeling a bit uncertain but trying not to show it "There's still a lot about this Relic we don't know. Merle, you were able to reason with Gundren. But only after he was already exhausted from the Phoenix Fire Gauntlet. We don't know what kind of mindset Angus mind be in right now. What kind of trance he might be under."

"What are you suggesting?" Taako asked with an unfriendly edge to his voice that made Lup nite back a wince

"Only that we need to be cautious." She assured him "Maybe we could seal off the exits in case he tried to run away? Or, Merle, you have Calm Emotion, maybe that will make him more receptive to what Taako has to say."

Taako scratched at his chin, looking much calmer now that he realized they weren't going to endanger Angus "So, what I'm worried about is what's to stop him from just falling under the Thrall again?"

"That's a good point." Magnus said "Maybe if one of us is holding it, that will negate the effects?"

Taako shook his head "I was holding it the first time, remember? Look I… Let's not take any chances. Lup, as soon as that monocle comes off, I want you to put him to sleep." He placed a hand on her shoulder and gave her a hard stare and Lup realized just how much he was entrusting to her and felt moved. They may be long-lost twins but they had still only just met and she knew better than most how distrustful the sort of lives they'd lived could leave a person. This was his son they were talking about. Holy shit that was her nephew out there!

"… Wait, wasn't the whole point of this to avoid killing the kid?" Merle pipped up untactfully, prompting a long moment of silence before everyone exploded on him at once

"Way to say what everyone was trying to avoid saying!"

"It's a spell, Merle! The thing, I, a wizard, do!"

"He is not allowed near Angus."

Eventually they got all the details worked out and got into position, each of them blocking off a different exit. Taako took a breath and moved closer, clearing his throat loudly.

"I gotta hand it to you, baby, this is one hell of a replica." He started, sounding surprisingly calm and casual "You really got all the details just right. It's really impressive."

"Sir, you can't be back here, it's a crime scene. You'll contaminate everything." The little boy said

"Oh, I promise I won't touch anything. I'm just here to talk."

"Well sir, I'd still rather-"

"Sir?" Taako interrupted "You're talking like we've never met."

The little boy raised an eyebrow behind his monocle, an expression of innocent confusion and embarrassment crossed his face "Have we?"

Taako's blood ran cold and for a moment he was frozen before he could compose himself. Was he just playing dumb? That wasn't very like Angus but anything was possible. He forced a laugh and a kind smile towards his son "Listen. I'm not mad about the Magic Missle thing, and you're not in trouble. So if that's what you're worried about-"

"What Magic Missle?" The boy said sounding even more confused

Taako had to grit his teeth to not loose his cool "Angus-"

"Who's Angus?" The boy asked desperately, taking a frightened step back now "Who are you?"

An awful idea popped into Taako's head at that moment. A horrible question that sent a shiver slithering down his spine. But he didn't allow himself anytime to think things over before he was stretching out his hand, reaching for the points of this boy's elven ears.

He had just barely touched them, only long enough to confirm that they were real flesh and blood, when a small explosion came. Taako ripped his arm back to shield his face from the blast. When he peeked over it again he found Caleb Cleveland perfectly unharmed, shielded in a bubble against an unwelcome spell. His eyes, glowing gold, were fixed on Merle.

" **No**." Said a voice that was neither Angus's nor Caleb's " **I** **don't** **want** **to** **play** **with** **you**."

With that a hole opened up in the ground where Merle was standing and he fell away to who-know-where. The boy turned his head sharply and caught Magnus trying to bum-rush him. Taako barely had enough time to call out "No! Don't hurt him!" When the street formed itself into a fist and punched Magnus so high into the sky he became nothing but a twinkle.

He turned to Taako then, and the elf braced for the worst, but that was when the golden glow faded from his eyes and he became again the slightly frightened child he'd been a moment ago.

"Sir? Who are you?" He asked again

Taako sucked in a breath. Realizing he didn't want to meet a similar fate to the other two, and he wasn't sure what to say in this situation anyway. He stood up slowly and gave his son a good long stare.

"I'll come back for you." He promised and took off

He found Lup hiding behind a nearby booth and practically collapsed into her arms, glad at least she was safe.

"What happened?" She asked when she saw him "What's wrong?"

Taako told her about Angus not recognizing him and about the genuine elf ears he didn't have before.

"Shit. Of course." She cursed "The Occulus makes anything with illusion magic real. So when he used it to change his appearance… he really believes he's Caleb Cleveland."

"Yeah, that's about what I figured. I'd bet he has all his memories and mannerisms and everything too." Taako replied, resigned "So, y'know, we're basically totally screwed."

"Well, hold on-"

"Because I can't talk him down if he dosen't know who I am!"

Lup grit her teeth and put a hand to her face, thinking hard for a moment before suddenly snapping her fingers, an almost visible lightbulb going off above her head "We're just thinking about this wrong." She said "We're trying to appeal to Angus but we need to appeal to Caleb. What does he like? What does he want? Maybe we can still talk him down."

Taako, who was definitely in favor of the talking him down solution over the alternative, took a minute to rack his brain. The books never really got too into the psyche of their protagonist, preferring the young readers to insert themselves in his shoes. (Which Angus had apparently taken literally) Mysteries? No, that would take too long. Hot fudge sundaes? He doubted that would hold much sway over the Thrall. What was it? Why did Angus love these books so much anyway? What was the common thread?

Oh.

Of course.

"He's an orphan!" Taako blurred out a little louder than he'd expected

"What?"

"Caleb Cleveland. He's an orphan. The one mystery he's never been able to solve is what happened to his parents." Taako explained quickly, taking out his want and conjuring a golden locket broken in half. "And what's the one thing every orphan wants?" He asked his sister with a playful wiggle of his eyebrow

"To punch mom and dad's face in for abandoning us?"

"… Family. I-I was thinking family. But, you know, fair, that is a strong second." Taako said, it suddenly dawning on him that if Angus/Caleb leaned more towards Lup's thinking this could all backfire spectacularly in them.

He grabbed the locket in one hand, and his sister in the other. With a nod, they made their way back towards the Merry-Go-Round.

He was there. No longer skittering around the scene for clues but sitting down scribbling in his notebook. As they got closer, he looked up, his expression already nervous and on-guard.

"Hello again, sir." He greeted politely regardless. Where he got his good manners from, Taako would never know.

"Hey kid." He said "Sorry about earlier. I… I have a case for you, actually. It's important to me, and I need only the best on it."

That caught his interest "Well, I am the world's greatest detective. What have you got?"

"I'm looking for my son." Taako said "I haven't seen him in a long time. He'd be about your age now. I'm afraid this is the only clue I have. He should have the other half." He took out the locket and showed it to him. The boy detective's eyes grew wide as dinner plates as he inspected it with reverence.

"Did… Did he run away or…?"

"No. Actually I… I gave him up."

"Wh-Why would you do that?"

"Becuase I was scared." Taako said so quickly and easily it was clear he wasn't just talking out of his ass "Back then… I wouldn't exactly have called myself parenting material. I didn't know the first thing about kids. What do I do if he gets sick? What do I do if he asks me questions I don't know how to answer? What do I do if he decides he wants to run around solving mysteries and getting into danger he has no business being in? I thought… He deserved better than me. At least this way he had a chance of finding someone who could take care of him like I couldn't." He grabbed his son's shoulder and looked him straight in the eye "But I'm ready for all that now. If he'll have me, of course."

Round, fat tears began to roll down his rosy cheeks "Dad!" Angus cried, launching himself into his arms.

The world around them shuddered, then dissipated to nothing as the monocle fell, unsuspectingly to the ground. Magnus and Merle reappeared from wherever they'd been. The gloomy, gray carnival was replaced with a pleasant day downtown. And where there had been Caleb Cleveland was now Angus, burying his face into Taako's chest.

He was fast asleep, thanks to Lup's fast wand work. Taako hugged him anyway.


	3. MoRPL p 3

_"Alright, Mr. uh…"_

_"Bluejeans. Barry J. Bluejeans."_

_"… Right." Lup said with a raised eyebrow "What did those goblins want with you and Gundren?"_

_The chubby man took off his glasses and started to clean them while he explained "Well, to tell you the truth, Gundren didn't really give you the full picture when he hired you. See, about twelve years ago, the Rockseekers were conned out of their family vault in Wave Echo Mine, filled with all sorts of treasure. Gundren and his two brothers resolved to reclaim it. Most of the equipment you were transporting was stuff they hoped would let them muscle their way in."_

_"The dynamite and giant drills?"_

_"Yes, exactly." Barry said with an exasperated expression_

_"You don't think that would work, do you?" Magnus guessed_

_Barry gave a dry laugh "You don't understand. The reason this vault was so valuable is because it was blood-locked. Do you know what blood-locked means?"_

_"It means it can only be opened by people who share blood with the lock's owner." Lup explained "They're powerful stuff. Supposedly impossible to break."_

_"So they sold their family vault?" Magnus asked_

_Lup shook her head "You don't get it. These spells aren't tied to any contract or deed. They're tied to a blood line. The only way to open the vault is to be born into that bloodline."_

_Barry looked impressed "You know your stuff."_

_"I am a professor of the arcane arts, darling." She said with a wink. Barry scratched the back of his neck, looking cutely flustered._

_"But… yeah. So that's where I come in. Gundren thought it'd be worth having a scientist to try and re-work the lock to recognize Rockseeker blood again than just blow it up like his brothers wanted."_

_"Aren't you a bodyguard?" Magnus asked_

_Barry held out his chubby arms "Do I look like a bodyguard to you?"_

_"I don't think you want to know what you look like to me." Lup said, making Barry turn a delightful pink_

_"How'd they lose the vault the first time?" Merle, who'd been quiet up until now, pipped up_

_"That's the thing." Barry said quickly, seeming glad for the exercise not to look at the gorgeous elf across from him "No one knows. Gundren's father, Cyrus,"_

_"My uncle."_

_"Your uncle, yes. He was head of security for the mine. One day he went to investigate a disturbance in the mine and never came back. They found his body sloppily buried nearby and wrapped in a red robe that was too big to belong to a dwarf. When they tried to open the vault, it wouldn't work. And it hasn't worked ever since."_

* * *

Taako studied his reflection the window of their canon-ball as he combed out the remaining tangles in his hair and began to re-braid it, working the raven feathers back in as he went.

Angus was leaned against her, still snoring softly for her own spell. Taako had asked her to keep him asleep until he saw this relic destroyed with his own eyes. They'd been forced to call for a second canon-ball to transport all these people, and even then it was cramped between the three of them and Killian and Merle.

"So…" Lup began, feeling uncomfortable with so many people crammed together around her and no one speaking "You seem to be taking all this pretty well?"

Taako had shown no sign of being impressed when Killian, along with a very slight Dragonborn woman who'd introduced herself as Carey, showed up via giant canon-ball, or when they'd told him he'd need to come with them to their secret base on the fake moon or… really anything, now that she thought about it.

Taako shrugged "My son's the World's Greatest Detective, my boyfriend hunts necromancers for a living, I've had an adventure or two myself in my life. I guess I'm hard to impress."

Lup nodded, trying not to help feeling… disappointed? She supposed there was some sibling- instinct in her telling her to rub her brother's face in how cool her job was.

Then she felt a hand over hers as Taako leaned over and whispered "I've also got a killer poker face." and winked

Lup laughed, a bit relived he wasn't as relaxed as he let on.

"What's so funny?" Merle asked, sounding a little irritated by their whispering

"Oh, we were just talking about how cute Angus is when he sleeps. Don't worry, he only utterly decimated dwarfs when he hasn't had his nap." Taako replied cooly, making Lup laugh loudly and Merle blush indignantly.

It wasn't until they got to the brig that Lup realized the difficulties involved with keeping Angus asleep so long. Angus was small for his age, but still too heavy for Taako to comfortably carry, especially with the not inconsiderable distance from here to the Void Fish tank and then to the Director's office. Magnus, of course, offered to take him but Taako looked wary about handing his sleeping son over to a man he'd only just met. Lup figured it was understandable if he was feeling a touch overprotective, considering what they'd just been through.

Still "I could take him." She found herself offering. Taako raised an eyebrow at her, then looked her up and down mockingly. "I'm stronger than I look." She insisted

"Well, I hope so, because he's heavier than he looks." He said, handing him over. And he was. But Lup definitely wasn't admitting to that.

"Why would you let her carry him and not me?" Magnus protested

"Becuase she's family, obviously." Taako replied haughtily

"You met four hours ago." Merle pointed out

Taako was about to respond when Killian cut him off "Director?" She said, sounding surprised.

And indeed there was the Director, standing there in the same full business regalia she'd been wearing last night (had that only been last night?) when she'd sent them out on this mission. Her expression was tight and controlled.

"I wanted to be here to welcome you to the Bureau of Balance as soon as possible, Mr. Tacco." She said

"Oh man, I get the feeling I'm going to be hearing a lot of that noise around here." Taako responded.

It was the first time Lup had ever seen the Director look embarrassed "That's right. You need to be inoculated before we can… perhaps I got a bit overzealous."

"I need to what?"

"Just come with me." Killian said "I'll show you where it is."

"Director," Lup pipped up "Do you think Angus could get a drank from the tank too? It seems only fair."

She could swear she saw a flash of pain in the Director's brown eyes as they settled on Angus in her arms and quickly skittered them away "We don't usually allow inoculation for family members of our recruits. But I'll make an exception just this once."

"Wait. Is that gonna mean we have to wake him up? Becuase I was planning to keep him asleep until we could see the monocle destroyed. Y'know so he dosen't fall under the thrall again?" Taako asked

"Oh, that's not an issue. Davenport!"

"Davenport! Davenport!" The gnome echoed, pushing a cart with a small black sphere built into it.

"We can hold onto the Occulus for you and keep it safe until-"

"Yeah, let me stop you right there." Taako interrupted "What is this made of? Some sort of special metal that can cancel out the Thrall these things have?"

"Uh, no. It is enchanted iron, which can withstand-."

"Then why would I leave it alone with you? What's to keep you from falling under the thrall and claiming it for yourself?"

"I have several precautions in place to-"

"Okay let me be perfectly frank with you right now." Taako interrupted. Lup put a hand on his shoulder but he shrugged her off "If I let go of this monocle, it is because I know it is about to fall into an incinerator or something that will fucking destroy it forever!"

"Davenport!"

"You already said that."

"Taako, you shouldn't-"

"No, Lup, that's all perfectly reasonable. I respect your precaution, Taako. How about we all go to my office and I can arrange to have you and Angus inoculated there. That way you can keep an eye on the Occulus and your… son. And you can watch as we destroy this Relic."

Taako considered it, then gave a nod.

The Director gave a sigh of relief and began leading them towards her office. Lup hung back long enough to catch Killian's eye.

"Hey, is it just me or is the Director acting a little weird?"

"I mean honestly yeah. But, to be fair, she told us we might have to take out a kid today. Figure everyone's a little on edge."

"Lup! Come on!" Merle urged

"I should go. See ya!"

* * *

"Davenport." Davenport said as he brought in a tray with two vials of the Void Fish's ichor

"Really? I wouldn't have guessed." Taako replied

The atmosphere in the Director's office had been very different than when they'd first arrived. It was clear that while last time they'd been something of misfits, lucky enough to be given the chance to work with a cool secret organization in exciting missions to save the world and she was the cool, mysterious lady to whose whims they were subject. This time she was a stressed woman who'd just ordered the endangerment of a valuable potential employee's son. She'd gone as far as having Davenport them coffee while they waited. It was quite good. Taako seemed content enough to sip his coffee silently and let her fumble with the niceties.

"Alright, time to rise and shine baby." Lup said as she dispelled the sleeping spell on Angus.

"Mmfhm… wuz goin on? Dad? Where are we?" The little boy said as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes, somehow sounding smaller than he already was

"Hey kiddo, you nodded off there on us. How you feeling?" Taako replied

"Hmm? I'm alright." He said, a little distracted as he glanced around the fancy office "What is this place?"

"You remember that secret organization your aunt works for?" At which point the Director stiffened and sent a pointed look in Lup's direction. Lup silently shook her head and pointed to Merle and Magnus.

"Oh, yeah, I can confirm that. Lup didn't do anything wrong. She was with me the whole time. It was Merle and… I wanna say Marcus?"

"Magnus."

"Whatever."

"Also, I'm the World's Greatest Detective, I would've figured it out either way. They just kinda confirmed my suspicions. Not that they were doing a great job of keeping it secret to begin with."

"Well, we needed some magical backup and she was too busy getting brunch!"

"I literally just found out I have a brother, Merle. What was I supposed to do? Work?"

"… You know, I'm just going to be honest. I'm a little disappointed in everyone right now." The Director said

"Davenport!"

"Oh, right. Thanks." Taako said, picking up a vial "Anyway they've invited us up to their base in the moon-"

"The moon?"

"It's not the real moon. They built a fake one."

"Oh that's disappointing."

"Yeah, little bit. Anyway they're going to let us watch that artifact get destroyed and then they'd like to talk to us about some things. But in order to really talk to us, they need us to drink this… ichor did you say? Apparently it will get rid of that annoying Chhhhh sound and probably remember some things."

"Ichor of what?"

"Uh, a Void Fish." The Director answered

"What's a Void Fish? I've never heard of that before. Have I learned about them and just forgotten? Will I remember learning about Void Fishes when I-"

"Hey, hey, one thing at a time Encyclopedia Brown." Taako said in a voice that told Lup these stings of questions were not uncommon from Angus "Now drink your ichor."

They did and for a moment afterwards they just stared off into space, the same way Lup assumes she, Magnus and Merle had when they first arrived. Then Taako yelled out suddenly "Sour cream!"

"…what?"

Angus put a hand to his temple as Taako blinked rapidly and shook his head "Oh, sorry, I just suddenly had this very clear memory of… I mean I remember the wars and you guys saying Occulus and all that stuff… but for some reason this memory was really clear. I was on Grandpa Tostada's farm and I was churning cream and-"

"Wait, you've met Grandpa Tostada?" Lup asked

Lup watched as her brother quickly connected the dots in his head, his expression becoming disturbed "Wait… Did the rest of our family know there were two of us? And never told-"

"Oh, look!" The Director interrupted abruptly "It's time to destroy the Occulus! We really should be swift about this! Come along!"

"Uh… yeah… let's do that." Taako agreed, though he sounded a bit off-put and Lup could guess that new tid-bit about their family wouldn't leave him easily. It would leave her easily either.

They accompanied the Director to that chamber where they'd watched the Phoenix Fire Gauntlet be destroyed. And, like last time, they watched as the Occulus was raised into the air and pierced by beams of light from the Director's plain oak staff until, with a final burst of light, it was gone as if it had never existed.

"If that's all, I would like to speak with Taako in private now. Could you give us the room?" The Director said

Angus didn't seem eager to leave his father's side in this new place and his cutely behind his legs.

"Hey Ango," Magnus said cheerily "You wanna see our Void Fish?"

His eyes went wide with curiosity behind his glasses. He looked up at Taako "Can I dad?"

Taako thought about it a moment, then locked eyes with Lup "You'll keep an eye on him?" He asked her, specifically

She nodded "Of course."

"Then I'm sure it's fine. Go have fun." He said giving his son an encouraging push

Lup did notice, though, how he kept his eyes on Angus right up until the office door shut.

* * *

Angus was quiet while they made their way to the Void Fish's chamber. He held onto Lup's hand and kept his eyes downcast.

When the showed him the Void Fish, he did perk up with childish wonder, but it was still muted compared to what Lup had been expecting. Especially compared to Magnus, who was running around the tank as the Voidfish turned, trying to keep up with him, making their tentacles swirl beautifully.

"Alright. What's up with you, little man?" She said, squatting so she'd be at his eye level

Angus hesitated. He pulled a necklace out of his shirt collar and started fiddling with it absentmindedly. "I just… I remember it?" He finally managed

"Oh… Angus-"

"I didn't at first. But then I drank that iccur and…" he looked over at Magnus, still playing with the Void Fish, and Merle, charring up an annoyed looking Yohann "I hurt them. I hurt dad."

"Angus, no one here is upset with you. You weren't in your right mind and we know that."

"But I still did it. And I could've done a lot worse if you hadn't stopped me."

Ah, shit. A ten year old didn't need to be dealing with this stuff. "Angus, I know right now it seems hard to do. But if you spend your life constantly wondering about what could've been if things had gone differently… if you had known better or if you had made a different decision… you'll never be able to appreciate what you have now." She took one of his little hands in hers and looked him closely in the eyes "I made a descsion… a few weeks ago… and it led to disaster. But if I hadn't I wouldn't have this cool job and get to live in the moon. And I wouldn't have been on that train to meet your dad. Chin up, Ango. Thing's work out."

He managed a small chuckle "That sounds like what dad would say."

He clutched at his necklace, which Lup now noticed was way too big for him "Did he give that to you?" She asked. Angus nodded and held it out for her to inspect

There were a few curious seashells she didn't recognize and a wooden oblong pendant, painted in the image of a sunset. Lup fingered at it curiously, frowning "What is this?"

Angus shrugged "No idea."

Lup raised an eyebrow "Really? Aren't you the World's Greatest Detective or whatever?"

Angus frowned and Lup got the sense she'd touched a nerve "I am! I tried to look it up in the library but nothing lines up. Mr. Kravitz didn't know what it was and he's been all over the place. Dad says it's just some junk. It's not magical, I know that. And-"

"Okay, okay, I believe you boy chilk." She insisted, raising her hands in surrender

Angus calmed down. Then he looked down at the pendant and looked like he was thinking about something and reached behind his neck and unfastened it "Why don't you keep it, Aunt Lup?"

Lup was surprised by this "Uh… I… Are you sure?"

Angus nodded and pressed it into her hand. Lup obliged and fastened it around her neck. It wasn't quite her usual style, she would've preferred a monster tooth or something but she made it work.

Just then there was a loud thwack sound and Lup turned to see Magnus on his butt, holding his head, looking like he'd just run into the Void Fish's chamber. Merle was pointing and laughing at him while Yohann didn't seem to appreciate Magnus possibly disturbing the Void Fish like that.

"Come on, let's get you back to your dad." She said

"Sound nice." Angus agreed

* * *

"… so, you know, kiss my ass but thanks for the coffee." Taako said as he backed out of the Director's office, shutting the door behind him

"I take it you're not joining us?"

"Nah, I've already got a job that dosen't require me to risk my life."

"Well, I can't say I'm not a little disappointed. It'd be cool to work with my bro, but I get it. That's fair."

"Oh, don't think for a second this means we're not setting up a family game night or some shit."

"Sounds dope. Come on, I'll walk you to the cannonballs. You can give me your contact information on the way."

As the siblings made their way back to the brig, neither of them noticed Angus's expression as he lagged behind them. If Taako has looked back, he would've recognized it as the beginnings of a troublesome idea.

* * *

Taako was finishing up the dishes when a pair of strong, chilly arms wrapped around him. He doubted his boyfriend would ever be warm to the touch, being undead tended to do that to you, but he had come along way from the icicle he'd been when they first met. Taako relaxed into his touch.

"He asleep already?"

"Mmhmm. Went down real easy. I think he's had a long day. Want me to take over here?"

"No, I'm actually not going to let you do my chores for me." He said sarcastically as he handed over the towel

"Mmhmm. Such a martyr."

"A saint." Taako agreed, pressing a kiss to Kravitz's cheek

"And how're you getting along?" His boyfriend asked as he started to dry

"I'm not sure I know what you mean." He bluffed

"Taako…"

"Kravitz…"

His boyfriend sent him a look and Taako caved. He heaved a sigh and leaned back against the counter, inspecting his toes a moment before speaking "… He didn't know who I was, Krav. I looked into his eyes and… And I know he wasn't exactly in his right mind but… that's my boy, Krav. Looking into the eyes of someone you love, and know they have no idea who you are… it's like rubbing salt in a gun wound."

Kravitz didn't say anything, just reached out and grabbed his hand. Letting him know that he was there. Taako wasn't one for mushy, emotional talks. He preferred to keep things inside and solider on with them. Possibly another remnant of his lonely childhood. Kravitz knew this and never tried to push Taako into what he wasn't comfortable with. It was enough to just know he was there.

Taako pulled him into a hug.

When they pulled apart, Taako didn't let him go completely. He kept one arm wrapped loosely around him, his other hand fiddling absentmindedly with his collar.

"… I've been thinking." He spoke to Kravitz's chest

"Yeah?"

"… Finding Lup…" he struggled to find the words "I always thought I was alone in the world. No home. No family. And… finding her… that means more to me than I could ever say, Krav. But it's made me realize… I already had a family."

Kravitz chuckled "Of course you do, love." He said, giving his a little squeeze

Taako smiled weakly, blushing. He cleared his throat awkwardly "How does October sound to you?"

"Hm? Well it's a little chilly but that dosen't bother me, and-"

"The trees are all pretty colors, and lots of good food's in season. We could probably find an orchard or something…"

"Wait… are you talking about… setting a date?"

Taako's furious blushing was enough of an answer. Kravitz kissed him, long and slow. When they pulled apart, he rested his forehead on Taako's "I think an October wedding sounds lovely, darling."

Taako smiled and kissed him back. And for that moment, it was like everything in the world was right and good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pssst, the necklace is a surfboard. No one know’s what it is becuase Taako hasn’t gotten around to inventing surfing yet


	4. Festival Chaos

"… So he comes back the next day and says 'listen. It turns out you're really not supposed to bet the scythe. Is there any way we can make a deal?' I took him for all he was worth."

"Of course you did." Lup smiled at her stone of far-speech

"Yeah, one thing to know about Kravitz. He talks a big game but he is a terrible gambler." Said fiancé gasped indignantly in the background "Oh, tell it to the checkbook, babe."

"Your brother's so mean to me, Lup." Kravitz whinnied

"Hey, don't serve a pie you're not ready for someone to eat." A sharp laugh came through the line "He's used that exact phrase before. Genetics is amazing!"

Lup stiffened

"It's not that uncommon, is it?" Taako asked

"I've never heard anyone else use it." Kravitz pointed out "Anyway, I should get going. See you later, babe."

There was some sounds of movement on the line as Kravitz left the room and it sounded like Taako got settled into a new seat before the conversation started up again

"So, how's Angus?" She tried, something about Kravitz's last comment was bothering her but she couldn't quite put her finger on it, so she let it go

She heard her brother sigh "To be honest, he's been better. That whole episode really got to him, I think. He hasn't touched his Caleb Cleveland books and his magic lessons… I mean, he's not exactly the next Merlin but now it's like he dosen't even want to try." Lup chewed her lip, not sure what she could do to help in this situation. Before she had the chance, though, Taako continued "Actually, you remember that job offer the Director made me?"

"Yeah? You're still a firm no on that yeah?"

"I am… but it seems maybe Angus isn't."

"… I don't follow."

"He's been asking about applying to the Bureau."

"He's been asking about- He's ten!"

Taako gave a wry chuckle "He's the World's Greatest Detective remember? He has his GED and more than a handful of college credits."

"I thought that was just something you called him. Like as a cute parent thing."

"No it's very legit. There's leaderboards and everything."

"Well… but… what?"

Taako laughed "Nevermind. Nevermind. I've got a handle on the situation for now."

Lup, at a bit of a loss for words, opted for changing the subject. "Well that sucks but you've still got the Mid-Summer Featical next week to look forward too! You're coming up, yeah?"

Taako hesitated "I am, yeah, definitely, but we've hit a bit of a snag in getting clearance for Kravitz. Seems they have anti-magic fields in place in case of an undead attack and he might accidentally trigger something."

"Is he undead?"

"Yeah. Didn't I mention that?"

"I don't think so."

"Well, he is."

The conversation came to an awkward halt as neither quite had anything to say but neither of them wanted to hang up and end it either. Eventually Taako cleared his throat.

"Hey can I ask you something that might be a little uncomfortable?"

"Uh, sure, shoot."

"I was wondering if you could tell me your dead name? I just… I can't remember anything about a sister or Lup and I was just hoping-"

"Yeah, no, I get it. It's fine." She'd found it frustrating herself to find no matter how hard she racked her early memories she could find no recollection of her twin. They had been young, to be sure, when they'd been abandoned and they couldn't have been separated long after. It made sense their memories would be dim. Yet she could remember faint things about their parents. Their father's mustache. Their mother's long skirts. Not the faintest thing about Taako.

And now, as she sat on her bed, she found she was having trouble remembering other things as well. Things she ought to know. She furrowed her brow.

"You know what? I can't seem to remember what it was. That's strange. I… I was very young when I started going by Lup but I… I don't know. I must have forgotten."

"Hey, that's all right. It was a bit of a long shot anyway." Taako's voice came through the stone

"Actually, that reminds me. You remember Grandpa Tostada?"

"Yeah."

"Well, after I found out about him keeping us secret from each other I wanted to contact him and ask him why you know? But I can't seem to find any record of him. It's like he vanished into smoke. And it's not just him, Ko, Great Uncle Saalssa too."

"Well that's… weird." Taako admitted, concern creeping into his voice

"Ko, there's something that's been bugging me. Ever since Phandalin. And I… I think maybe our family has some secrets. And we've been kept out of the loop on them and I… I don't like it."

Taako was quiet for a long minute "Listen," He said finally "We can look into this if you want but honestly? I have no interest in talking to those people again. They abandoned us. They left us. They kept us hidden from each other. I knew they were kinda shitty people before but… I just think this might be one can of worms better left unopened."

Lup wasn't sure, but she didn't feel like arguing about it "… Maybe." She conceded

There was a pause "It's getting late over here. I should turn in."

Lup nodded, even though he couldn't see it "I'll see you for the festival?"

"Absolutely." And then "I love you."

Lup froze for a moment, then it dissolved into a flood of relief. It'd only been three weeks since the Rockport Limited, during which she'd been unable to see her brother in the flesh. Their relationship had been restricted to calls on their stones and yet it was laughable how quickly it had developed. They had similar tastes and senses of humor. It felt less like getting to know a person she only barely knew and more like uncovering a part of herself long buried and forgotten.

"I love you too." She told her brother

* * *

The sweet music from Lup's violin filled the air as she fiddled away. Her eyes were closed and the air around her was warm with summer heat. It was only about mid-afternoon, but the conservatory was already near-abandoned for the day as people ran off to get ready for the Mid-Summer Festival. Though that suited Lup just fine. It wasn't always easy to find quiet moment during which to practice.

The sudden sound of a door opening and closing wasn't enough to make her stop, but she did when she felt the weight of eyes staring at her.

"Don't stop on my account, that was lovely." Her brother said from the doorway, already in full flapper attire, his son at his side

"Taako!" She cried happily, getting up and pulling her twin into a hug, she gave Angus a hug as well as an affectionate hair ruffling. He wasn't in costume, but Lup decided not to ask.

"I didn't know you played violin, Aunt Lup." Angus remarked

"Oh, yeah. It's nothing great though."

"Nonsense!" Taako insisted "That was as good as anything I've heard Kravitz play and he's had centuries to practice."

That was when Lup realized her brother's fiancé was not with them "Didn't make the cut, eh?" She joked. Taako frowned sourly and Lup quickly swept him out into the festival to distract him.

The festival itself was lovely. The three of them met up with Magnus and Merle and Miller about the attractions together. The siblings walked arm-in-arm and fell lingered a bit behind the others, gossiping about co-workers and discussing the merit of various carnival foods.

"Is that my necklace?" Taako asked

"Oh, yeah, Angus gave it to me last time you were here. Is that alright?"

Taako gave a bit of a snort "Makes no difference to me."

"Do you know what it is? I've studied magical pendants of all sorts before and I've never seen anything quite like it." Lup explained as the fingered the wooden oblong pendant. She'd given her old textbooks a cursory glance on the matter but had come up short.

"It's junk is what it is, no offense. I forgot I even had it until Angus found it my stuff one day. I think I won it in a poker game or something. I dunno. I used to win all sorts of weird stuff when I was traveling. I remember this one time I got this really cool scythe…"

As they walked, they kept an eye on Magnus and Merle, who kept attempting to bully a distant-looking Angus who barely gave them the time of day.

"He's hoping to ask the Director herself if he can join." Taako explained to her "I've been avoiding the issue by telling him we'd have to see what she thinks before making any decisions."

"It seems you're rooting for one decision over the other." Lup noted, causing Taako to stop altogether and give a dramatic sigh

"I just… I mean, I know he's smarter than most full grown adults but he's still ten for fuck's sake."

"Hey, kiddo, I get it." Merle interrupted "It's always hard to watch your baby birds leave the nest."

"Aren't you a deadbeat?"

"With kids dumber than soup?"

"Well, yes, but hey!"

Taako opened his mouth to retort but that was when the amplified voice of the Director rang out "Attention, everyone. The Eclipse is about to take place, if you would like to join us in the yard, and join us for the viewing of The Eclipse. Uh, it should be here in just a minute or so."

Their group gathered together excitedly. Magnus scooped up Angus and put him on his shoulders. They watched the sky with anticipation as the moon finally blocked out the sun.

That was when the most horrible sound Lup had ever heard in her life rang out. It ripped through her entire body. Her eardrums felt like they would burst. She covered her ears instinctively but it was no use. She looked, distressed, over to her friends and found them all clutching their ears and wincing in pain too. Angus had slumped over unconscious on Magnus's shoulders already and the crowds around them were not fairing much better. Lup fell to her knees and knew she wouldn't last much longer. Taako reached out for her but the influx of noise made him clap his hand back over his ear again with a pained expression. In her last moments of consciousness, Lup could make out in the sky millions and millions of shining white eyes staring down at them with a hunger that terrified her to her core. With her last thread of awareness, she could've sworn she felt deja vu.

* * *

"...up?...Lup? You still with us?" Merle's voice came to her as if through molasses as she came back to herself slowly. She winced at the light as she forced her heavy eyelids open. When her eyes adjusted, she found herself in a chair in the Director's office. Merle's hands glowed with divine healing light as her aches and pains faded. Magnus and the Director were talking in hushed tones by the window. Taako was watching her closely from a nearby chair and as he saw her open her eyes, he smiled and took her hand, giving it a little squeeze.

Groaning and rubbing her eyes she asked "So did everyone else see the scary hungry eyeballs in the sky? Or was that just me?"

Immediately a cold weight settled over the room. "That's exactly what we've been discussing, Lup." The Director said "I... Our seekers on the ground have reported back to us and have told us that nobody on the surface of the world saw or heard anything peculiar. So whatever... whatever you saw, you were the only ones who saw it. This... this was not a worldwide phenomenon, it just happened to us, uh, up here, up on the moon."

"It was moonwide." Merle said

"Could this be the work of— of some kind of evil organization spying on us?" Magnus asked

The Director shook her head "I don't know what it was, but I need you to not tell anybody what you've told me today. Even inside of the Bureau, until we understand what we're up against."

Lup frowned and looked at her brother, for the first time she noticed Angus sitting on the floor looking in the bit of a huff "Well... I mean... What about Taako and Angus? They're not part of the Bureau, and they saw everything."

The Director frowned "Yes, well... Honestly, that's a leak I hadn't been anticipating..."

"It dosen't have to be!" Angus snapped suddenly, Taako's smile twisting into a hard frown as soon as he did

"No, Angus." he said unusually coldly

"But dad-"

"I said no! I'm putting my foot down on this."

"What's this?" The Director prodded

"Hire me as a Seeker!" Angus yelled, getting up to his feet "I can help you find the other Relics! I'm the World's Greatest Detective I know I can do it!"

The Director gave a sigh "Yes, we received your application. And while I don't doubt your skills, and honestly in light of what just happened I believe it's in our best interest to hasten our efforts to find the Grand Relics," She glanced over at Taako's stormy expression and seemed to wince inward "But I surely could not employ a minor without explicit parental consent. I'm sorry, Angus."

"But-"

"Angus, enough," Taako cut in cooly "I'm not having this argument again. Certainly not in front of other people."

"You saw what happened out there! It's only going to get worse."

"You don't know that." Taako said firmly standing up "And if I thought it was too dangerous before I sure as shit am not agreeing to this now. Now, enough! You're going to bed." With that he led a grumpy but non-resistant Angus from the room. The door shut loudly behind them, leaving the rest in awkward silence.

After a moment, Lup cleared her throat "I hate to say it, but Angus makes a good point. It dosen't seem like a coincidence that this would happen only three weeks after we've collected the second relic. I mean, have there been any other cases of people collecting more than one Grand Relic?"

"Not that I'm aware of." the Director said cautiously

Lup frowned "Is it possible... The Red Robes. Is it possible they know we're collecting and destroying their creations? That this was some sort of counter-attack?"

"The Red Robes... as far as we know... they are gone. They are not in operation anymore. Most were killed in the initial hunt for the Grand Relics and their... order... is a shadow of its former self, if it still exists at all. So, no, I don't believe this is the work of the Red Robes."

"Okay, well, listen, you said this... phenomena, whatever, only happened here. On this base. On this secret moon base that nobody can physically tell anyone about. not on the surface, correct?"

"Uh, yes."

"Well that dosen't seem like a coincidence to me, Director. That seems targeted. That seems... Are you sure there's no... adverse effects to destroying these relics?"

The Director went stiff "What do you mean?"

"I mean that these are possibly some of the most powerful artifacts in the world. Maybe even beyond. And we don't know anything about how they were made or... I'm not saying we just leave them to cause destruction and misery but... dosen't it seem a little like we're slam dunking Pandora's Box here?"

The room was quiet for a moment until Magnus pipped up "I think what Lup's saying here, Director, is if you have any more information on these Relics. Anything more you can tell us. Now's the time to share."

The Director tightened her grip on her old oak staff "I don't... I've already told you everything I know. I don't know about the Red Robes. I don't know about the eyes. Please just... Just trust me. Please." her voice wavered and she sounded close to tears. Lup felt a pang of regret in upsetting the older woman but wouldn't allow herself to apologize for it. It was the nature of her job in arcane academia to ask uncomfortable questions. She restrained herself to a nod.

"I think that's enough for one night. Come on boys, let's get out of her hair." Lup said

She caught one last look at the Director as they left her office. Staring out across the quad she looked so tired. And so lonely.


	5. PttM

“Are you afraid?” The lich asked in a distorted, fragmented voice 

Lup kept herself steely but she only needed to glance at her friends to know that yes, they were indeed afraid. She knew they didn’t realize what they were looking at. She told herself she knew enough about liches from her study of necromancy that she could handle things if she needed to. But in truth she didn’t like their chances.

“No.” She said flatly on their behalf. It came out more convincing than she’d be expected. 

The shoulders of the red robed, spectral form in front of them slumped forward in what Lup might’ve mistaken for relief. “Good.” He said “I know this form can be… alarming.”

“Considering you just saved us from being poisoned and dying a painful death, I am weighing my options.” Lup replied suspiciously 

Something akin to a chuckle escaped from under the red hood “As am I. Gosh, this whole thing is such a mess. It honestly might just be easier if I just killed you.” A moment just long enough for Lup to quirk her eyebrow passed before the lichee seemed to realize what he’d said “Oh! Oh wow! Oh no! That sounds really bad out of context!” He began panicking 

“That sounds bad in any context!” Lup roared back, standing now

“I know! I’m sorry! I just-“

“Is everything all right in there? Captain?” A voice from outside called 

Everyone froze. All eyes crept slowly to the still warm body of the Chief of Police in the middle of the room. Lup winced. 

Wordlessly, she looked into the liche’s empty eye sockets, then down to the dead captain with some urgency, then up again. The liche seemed confused. She repeated the gesture with even more insistence. The liche got the message and let out a soft groan, though he did obediently drift downward into the corpse. 

The form of Captain Captain Bane sprung up. Looking as alive as he he’d been that morning, save for a barely noticeable red glow to him. As he made his way to the door Magnus looked at her like she was out of her mind. Lup could only offer an exaggerated shrug. Merle mostly just looked confused. 

“Hello yes! I am Captain Captain Bane! Perfectly healthy and well! How do you do? What can I do for you?” 

“I… uh… just heard some yelling? Is everything alright sir?” 

“Perfectly! Perfectly. Thank you for checking. Now if you’ll excuse me I have some… business to attend to. Run along now.” He shut the door abruptly before any more questions could be asked

As soon as the door was shut, the corpse crumpled to the ground like a pair of discarded pants and the liche was left hovering above it, shuddering in disgust. 

“It’s so gross in there Lup!” His special voice whinned and Lup couldn’t help but giggle

“Are you really a liche? You’re not exactly what I’d call intimidating.”

“Wait THAT’S a liche?”

“Wait what’s a liche?”

The liche chuckled, a little half-heartedly. “I’ve been able to hold onto my sanity thanks to some… really powerful memories. Memories of… loved ones. Of… Lup? Where did you get that necklace?”

All warmth in Lup’s body drained out of her. She felt like a stone of solid ice had been placed in her stomach. Images of Angus and Taako flashed before her eyes. Instinctively, she covered the pendant. 

“What’s it to you?” She replied defensively 

The liche seemed taken aback for a moment, but then he shook his head, as if to clear his thoughts. “I guess it dosen’t really matter. Listen, there’s a lot I have to tell you and it’s not all going to make sense but-“

“I cast Zone of Truth!”

“Does that… work on undead?” Magnus questioned

“I have NO IDEA!” Merle replied

The lichee chuckled again, almost fondly “Some things never change. For now, just… Don’t listen to Lucretia. And try to find Fisher’s child. She’ll have kept them close.”

With that he sunk beneath the ground and disappeared just as Lupbegan to call out in protest. When he didn’t return, Lup could do nothing but look across at her friends, a mutual question on all of their lips.

“What the fuck?”

***

It was early the next morning when Lup was awoken to the buzzing of her Stone-of-Farspeech. She groaned and didn’t bother to raise her head from the pillow as she wandered with a groagy “Hello?”

“Uh, Hey, Lulu.” Her brother’s voice caught her so off guard she sat up instinctively, immediately more alert. 

A quick glance outside told her it was still dark outside. It wasn’t like Taako to call so early. She knew by now he wasn’t the type to be up before noon if it could be helped. That Taako was awake at this hour was strange. That he would be calling her would be strange. But what alarmed her was the slight tremble voice. Her brother always liked to appear to be cool, calm, and collected in any circumstances and even when it wasn’t true he was a very convincing actor. She had never once heard him sound so nervous. 

Lup had barely woken up but all the warning signs were there to tell her something Really Really Bad must’ve happened.

“Taako?” She gripped the stone with worry “Is everything alright?”

“Um… uh… You know what? No. No it’s not.” 

“What happened? Is anyone hurt?”

“No. No one’s hurt. Thank Istus.” Taako assured her “But we did have… We were attacked, Lulu. Right here in our living room. A liche just… showed up outta nowhere and…” 

he went on to explain about what had happened and how Kravitz had magnates to scare the specter away before any damage could be done. How they had no idea what it had wanted or why and the unawnsered questions were driving them crazy. How he thought it must have something to do with his job (Hunting down the undead dosen’t exactly make one popular with the undead.) but Taako was worried it had something to do with the Relics and Angus’s involvement with them. The liche had, of course, been wearing a red robe after all. 

Lup heard this all in the blur. Hearing but not really taking in the information her bother was telling her. Her eyes shifted over to the oblong pendant that rested on her desk. And she knew, somehow, she had led him to them. 

“Lulu? You still there?” Taako’s voice broke through to her

“Hm? Oh yes I’m here. Sorry. Must be a weak connection. What were you saying?”

Taako gave a sigh and repeated himself “How would you feel about taking care of Angus for a little while?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I had to do some real re-writing of this scene becuase, frankly, this scene in context makes no goddamn sense. I know Griffin didn’t really have things figured out yet but boy howdy does it show.

**Author's Note:**

> Da na na an na na na!  
> Next time the heros face off against a ten year old’s imagination! (Let me know if you have any ideas for stuff they encounter along the way!)


End file.
